


Like None Other

by parttimefemmefatale (writingramblr)



Category: British Actor RPF, Doctor Who (2005), Doctor Who RPF
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Reality, Episode: s01e01 Rose, Episode: s01e13 The Parting of the Ways, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I Don't Even Know, Nonsense, Out of Character, encompasses the entire first season, from, i think you know, is this the real life?, or is it fantasy?, to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-06
Updated: 2014-05-07
Packaged: 2018-01-23 18:11:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1574834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingramblr/pseuds/parttimefemmefatale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christopher Eccleston doesn't know what's gotten into him. Billie Piper is a bit more than she seems.<br/>Can they both give a truth to the Doctor's feelings for Rose?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this little ficlet has no basis in reality. only the fantasy that because of Billie and Chris' excellent chemistry, SOMEthing surely could have happened. even if nothing near this ever did, it's a shame.  
> heed the tags, for what follows is bordering on ridiculous.  
> i'm sure Billie and Chris would get a good laugh out of this.  
> and yes i know David was the one who called her 'Bills' but really...i bet Chris would have done the same or worse...called her Miss Piper...which is just as knee meltingly adorable

She was so young. So much younger than he’d been expecting.

He’d read all about her before the script reading, even checked out some of her music. Bubblegum pop, it was called. He’d half expected her to be chewing gum when she walked in, snapping bubbles out the side of her pouty pink lips.

But no.

She was extraordinarily serious, and focused. She walked in wearing lightwash jeans, paired with a dark blue hooded sweater over what appeared to be a black t-shirt, besides the fact that the jeans looked much too big, and the trainers looked well scuffed it was a unique outfit. 

Had she been told to dress for the part?

He stuck out his hand when she’d walked past and sat down across the table from him,

“Hello Miss Piper, I’m Christopher Eccleston. I’m…”

She looked up at him, and smiled, and suddenly he couldn’t think straight anymore.

“Miss Piper? Oh god no one’s called me that since primary school. Just Billie thanks. Lovely to meet you. I must admit I haven’t seen any of your films.”

He managed a laugh,

“That’s perfectly alright. I’ve not memorized any of your music, although it’s quite catchy.”

The girl, no, Billie grinned over at him again, and he was hypnotized by the way she stuck her tongue out, just peeking beyond her perfectly white teeth. The bottom row, he’d noticed from watching all her music videos, was crooked, but it took nothing away from her beauty.

She was truly beautiful, even with minimal makeup and her usually perfect blond hair unstyled. A side ponytail that looked like it had taken seconds, no need for a hairstylist and makeup person.

They read through a couple scenes together, with Russell’s supervision, and Chris found himself wondering if she had any lunch plans. All in the name of becoming more acquainted with his new co-star.

“I think chips sound just wonderful. Howabout you Chris? Chips?”

He’d not been privy to more than one episode script since signing on, but somehow he knew that they’d need to work that in somehow.

The quirk of her eyebrow, the jaunt of her smile, that tongue-in-teeth grin, was utterly bewitching.

What on earth had he gotten himself into?

“I’ll buy.”

Her hand slipped through his effortlessly, and they were walking side by side to the nearest chippy before Chris knew what had happened.

***

Sure enough, a month into filming, on the second episode, Chris had managed to squeeze the same scenario into the script.

Billie went through her lines, and when he said,

“Nope. No money.”

He watched as she fought back a laugh,

“Alright then tightwad, chips are on me. Come on, we’ve only got five billion years til the shops close.”

The cameras were seconds from going off when she leaned her head onto his shoulder mid-step, and he nearly froze.

They called CUT and she looked up at him, for when she was in her trainers, he managed to tower over her by half a foot,

“Hang on a minute, I just had déjà vu.”

Chris grinned at her,

“Time traveler, it’s quite possible.”

She laughed aloud,

“No I’m being serious. It feels like we’ve done this before.”

“Besides multiple takes and rehearsals you mean?”

She frowned at him, as if deep in thought,

“Oh yeah…definitely.”

He didn’t want to poke fun at her by joking that perhaps the peroxide was finally getting to her, because the way her eyes lit up and how she squeezed his hand was simply marvelous.

“I know! It’s from after our reading. We had chips.”

Chris nodded,

“Very good. That was our first date.”

He stopped short, and cursed himself. He could have bit his tongue for being so stupid. Barely a month gone by and already he was much too fond of his co-star than should be allowed. Though she was only playing a teenager, she was thankfully much older than Rose Tyler.

Billie shrugged,

“Sure. Now we’ve had two of the same. What’s gonna make the next one memorable?”

Chris felt relieved she’d overlooked his blunder; perhaps all co-stars went on a first date, where date meant simply shared food.

Or maybe he was over thinking the whole thing.

She couldn’t possibly mean it like he did. She was almost young enough to be his daughter. She couldn’t possibly…be attracted to him. Could she?

***

They’d begun dancing around set to keep warm between takes, which was classified their second date, as proclaimed by Billie herself.

“He wouldn’t really mean that.”

Chris looked down at her, from where she seemed quite content in his arms and tucked into his leather jacket, or rather, the Doctor’s leather jacket.

“When he made an excuse for calling her pretty. He meant it. He rather fancies her I think.”

Chris blinked and glanced away from her.

She spoke often like that. Like their characters were so different and separate from themselves. The truth was, he’d nearly flubbed the line. He wanted to say she looked incredible, or fantastic. But the Doctor didn’t.

The next time they met up to go over the upcoming two part episode taking place back in Rose’s hometown, Chris insisted they go for chips.

“Shall I pay?”

Billie joked as they walked inside the chippy, and he realized he could let her. But would that blur the lines too much?

Considering he was head over heels ridiculous for her already, in so much that Rose had the Doctor wrapped around her thumb, he might have.

But his chivalrous side beat him out.

“Nah. I’ll get it.”

She’d said something clearly wicked, and he’d missed it. He’d been watching just her lips, and wondering how it would taste to kiss her. Salty from the chips? Or sweet from the soda? Or perhaps something uniquely her?

It was pure foolishness. Billie Piper had probably kissed hundreds of boys or men, but why would she pick him?

She snapped her fingers in his face, quite gently, before tapping his nose.

He knew if it had been anyone else on earth, they’d have gotten a glare for that.

The Oncoming Storm glare he was working on for the first encounter he would have with the Doctor’s lifelong enemy.

That episode read to be quite interesting.

“I’m sorry?”

“I said what do you think about their phone conversation? When she says her mother’s cooking? Then he describes the shock wave that’s happening somewhere out in space, right that moment?”

Chris shrugged,

“What about it?”

Billie leaned in close, and he matched her, inch for inch, until they were millimeters apart,

“I think it rather sounded like phone sex.”

His eyes went wide, and he saw her eyes crinkle with laughter before he heard it.

“What?”

“You should see your face!”

“The Doctor would never do that…never.”

Billie smirked,

“You never know. He’s desperate to get her to come back with him. He’s afraid she’s gonna stay with Jackie, and Mickey.”

Chris frowned unconsciously at the boy’s mention. Though he enjoyed working with Noel very much, he did have a dislike for his character. A surprisingly _in-character_ feeling.

It wasn’t jealousy.

***

It was time. The Doctor was confronting the first Dalek seen onscreen in almost two decades.

But suddenly Chris didn’t care. Because the emotion called for in the scene when he realizes Rose isn’t dead hit a bit too close to home.

Hearing the jarring voice shrieking about the ‘woman you love’ was more than annoying. It was deadly close to the truth.

When he threw the gun aside, and Rose-No- Billie came towards him, they called CUT.

But she still let him pull her into an enormous hug. The episode was extraordinary. Character growth all across the board, and Chris felt like he had finally used his real acting chops.

Still, feeling Billie’s arms around him made everything else pale in comparison.

“It’s a shame this won’t make the final cut.”

She mumbled, and he frowned at her,

“How d’ya know?”

Billie shrugged,

“Just a feelin’. That wouldn’t be subtle enough. They’ll have another big hug coming soon enough. I just know it.”

Looking back on it, she’d been so right.

Tearing up after asking for the Doctor’s forgiveness for saving her dad, Chris had barely held out on pulling her close.

When it came time to let go of her, he almost didn’t want to. She jerked back, pretending she’d felt the burning of the TARDIS key, but he couldn’t help but wonder how long she’d have lingered if that hadn’t been in the script.

Later, when they were walking hand in hand back to the TARDIS, the cameras only watching their backs, Chris whispered to her,

“Think they’ll keep that one in?”

He was referring to the big hug inside the church of course, and she squeezed his hand,

“If they don’t, we’ll go on strike, yeah?”

The familiar grin was back, and the cameras were off, but Chris couldn’t look away.

“Anything you say.”

***

The Doctor wouldn’t get jealous of earth blokes.

Unless of course they were anything like John Barrowman.

Chris wasn’t ready to admit it, but when Billie was accusing him of Captain-Envy, she was spot on. He knew pretty well that he had a better chance with John than Billie did, but he still didn’t like how comfortably the two got on.

John flirted up a storm, and the difference between him and his character was almost impossible to find. Except perhaps the fact he disliked wearing wool coats, and preferred to copy the Doctor’s leather look.

Chris glanced over to see Billie laughing at something John had said, and he felt his shoulders and jaw tense. It wasn’t easy sharing the blond, but he’d have to, for the rest of the show.

When Rose-no-Billie, came up to him to invite him out for drinks with the rest of the cast after the final episode before the two part season closer began filming, he almost said no.

But then she looked at him, the way she looked at the Doctor, and he forgot why he’d been about to turn her down.

He didn’t drink much, but Billie did.

She reveled the chance to be herself, and if that meant returning to her pop star roots, so be it.

But when she dragged him out onto the crowded and cramped dance floor, he was not above voicing protests.

“Come on Chris! The Doctor dances, why can’t you?”

She had to shout over the loud music, and yet he still caught every single word.

His smile was the sign of surrender, and when she pulled him close, placing his hands where she wanted them, he was hard pressed to say he disliked it.

An hour passed before he knew it, and John and Noel were saying goodnight.

Billie begged to stay for another song, which turned into three more, and when Chris finally looked at his watch, not the one the Doctor wore, not at all, he was astonished at the time.

“Billie!”

He leaned down, to shout in her ear, and she pulled back, looking at him with half lidded eyes and his breath caught,

“Yeah?”

“We have to work tomorrow.”

Billie frowned,

“What?”

Chris took her by the elbow, gently, his other hand reluctantly leaving its spot from holding her waist, and he guided her around the high tables and chairs and out the door.

Surprisingly, she didn’t protest, or try to escape him.

The outside air was refreshingly cool, and free of smoke, and he tried again.

“Bills, we’ve got a ten am shoot tomorrow. We should get home.”

Billie smiled at him, and he could see she was drunk by the way her lips curved, with little effort,

“Sounds great. You gonna drive us?”

Chris shook his head,

“I think not. We’ll share a cab.”

She giggled,

“But I was having such a lovely time.”

Chris knew he sounded gruff, but he was growing impatient, and he knew his self control was being chipped away every second he remained in her presence. He’d barely noticed what she wore when the group had left for the club, but now he was looking right at her, spotlighted by a street light, and she looked like a goddess.

Silver sequins hugged her curves, and stopped daringly high, barely mid thigh and her blond curls looked messy, as if she’d just been thoroughly shagged and decided to go out dancing.

If only.

“I had a nice time too. But tomorrow you’ll thank me. Goodnight Bills.”

She’d not even made a peep when he guided her out of the cab and up her front steps. He watched her make her way up the stairs, wisely having removed her black pumps beforehand.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh hai. it's actually the 6th reproduction of the Parting of the Ways kiss that i've written/published. goodness knows i'll prolly think of another way to redo it.

The kiss.

 _The_ kiss.

The _kiss._

Chris wasn’t ready.

He wasn’t sure if he’d ever be ready.

So much preparation for such a simple thing. He’d kissed many women onscreen before. He’d even bared his arse before, and Billie loved to tease him about it.

Even John had gotten in on that daily joke.

But all of that paled in comparison to the Doctor and Rose Tyler’s first and in a way, last kiss.

They’d shot the scene where he’d sent her home, and he’d nearly teared up as he watched the footage of her fighting the TARDIS, and begging to be sent back.

They’d played it because they knew it would help him keep in character, feel what the Doctor would feel.

Then, when that sound, the sound he knew well, the TARDIS engines played for the final time, he felt his heart break.

This was the next to last scene with Billie. Afterward, he’d say goodbye, they’d part ways, oh so ironically as the episode was called, and he’d never see her again.

He was being replaced. He knew it. He didn’t shy away from thinking of it like that, even if he couldn’t say it aloud.

He’d met the guy. He was a nice enough bloke. Oh so pretty, Billie would probably have a ball with him.

They’d read lines together for the Children in Need special, and she’d gotten a peek at the Christmas special.

She’d told him when they’d gone for chips for the last time, the weekend before the for the kiss scene.

Billie stepped outside the TARDIS box set, and paused, leaving time for the special effect that would appear to transform her from a cloud of golden light, and then she walked over to him.

It hadn’t taken much of his acting skills to fall backwards and be shocked by her return. He was dreading it so badly, it was utter torture to behold.

He practically shouted the lines at her, his horror and anger turning to despair.

“What’ve you done?”

Billie blinked, and the tears fell down her cheeks. That was no special effect, it was pure magic. He’d never seen her cry on command before. For Father’s Day, they’d used an entire bottle of artificial tears, for some reason, she’d been unable to feel sad during that shoot.

Maybe it was because her ‘father’ kept cracking jokes between takes. Chris couldn’t say he’d minded. He loved seeing Billie laugh.

“I looked into the TARDIS, and the TARDIS looked into me.”

Her voice shook, and the sound wavered. They’d applied a strange effect to her voice, the microphone was distorted, and her normal Rose Tyler accent was gone.

It kept him in the scene, and he was unable to tear his eyes from her figure.

When the time came, and she was looking at him, utterly lost and confused, in pain from the power her fragile human form held, his hands shook as he reached for her.

“I think you need a doctor.”

He’d laughed the first time he read that line. But afterwards he’d thought about it, and realized just the way he’d have to say it.

His eyes stayed open as long as hers, and when they both finally surrendered completely to the kiss, he heard Russell yelling CUT!

Billie pulled away immediately, ever the focused professional.

Or so he thought.

She winked at him when she caught his eye, and he quirked a brow at her.

“What?”

“Those real tears?”

Billie shrugged,

“Yeah. So?”

Chris huffed in annoyance,

“So I’m curious. How can you be in such a cheerful mood with Niagara falls on your face?”

Her mouth fell open in a silent gasp, and he felt proud for an instant, before the guilt hit.

“That’s the meanest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

“To you.”

Billie reached over and smacked his arm.

“What was that for?”

“What d’ya think? You’re acting like a complete twat.”

Chris raised his eyebrows,

“Careful princess. I might not kiss those dirty lips again, even if I’m ordered.”

Billie squinted at him.

“Princess? Oh what’s that then? Your way of brushing me off? Just because you think…”

“Quiet on the set!”

Chris was interrupted when they had to continue the scene, and it was infinitely more difficult than ever to return to character in the precise moment they’d left.

Billie mouthed “Thank you” perfectly and went limp in his arms.

He laid her down on the ground, and in his anger forgot to cradle her head, but luckily she was completely in control, and didn’t even seem to notice.

When they called CUT again, she was up on her feet in the blink of an eye, and she’d reached out and slapped him.

The crews were much too busy studying the last take to notice their two main actors having a row.

Chris cupped his burning cheek, and stepped back a pace from the angry blond.

“Oh nice. A callback to our first episode?”

Billie seemed to vibrate with anger,

“No you numpty. A wake up call. We’re gonna do that kiss again, and this time you’re not going to act like a spoiled child who’s been told no.”

Chris felt confused, and angry, but he wasn’t about to admit either.

Cool, calm and collected.

“Am I supposed to thank you? For all these months of working with you?”

Billie laughed,

“Oh that’s a lark. I thought it would be me. Pop singer gets to work with great thespian. I should be skipping about thanks to you. Well I’m not. If you can’t tell. If you’d open your eyes for a single minute you’d see you weren’t the only one sad to see this end. How long do you think I’ve thought about this moment? Why do you think I’m happy, and able to cry at the drop of a hat?”

Chris was stunned, even more so since the slap.

“What are you going on about?”

Billie smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes, eyes which were filling with tears rapidly,

“I’m in…something with you. I’ve liked you since that moment you called our getting chips a date. You’ve been my world for the last few months, what did you expect? I’m as pathetic as the Doctor. I’ve fallen for an ape. A stupid ape that’s too focused on his job to see what’s been in front of him for so long.”

Chris would have fallen to his knees before her again, if the shouting hadn’t rung in his ears.

“ReSET for the Shot, take TWO!”

This time when Billie came out of the TARDIS in tears, Chris let go of the Doctor, and just felt.

When he pulled her into his arms, and kissed her, he tried to tell her with the words he couldn’t find what was going through his head.

She melted into him, and he set her down slowly, cradling her head, and stroking a stray blond strand off her cheek.

He didn’t know it, but that shot made it into the final cut.

It was an unscripted act of tenderness.

***

When Billie found him sitting alone in his trailer, he didn’t protest when she entered. What could he have said?

“Chris?”

Her voice was infinitesimal, barely a hush of a whisper.

“Yes Billie?”

“Are you angry with me?”

His head slipped into his hands, fingers kneading his skull through his short hair.

He shook his head before speaking,

“Of course not.”

Suddenly he felt a second pair of hands caressing his shoulders and neck, and he tensed beneath the touch.

“I’m sorry if I said anything I shouldn’t have. You drive me bonkers though.”

Chris choked out a laugh,

“And you think you’re any better?”

Billie stopped massaging his back,

“What?”

“You know what. Striding around with those bedroom eyes, kissable lips and ‘just shagged’ hair? You’ve been seducing me since day one without even trying.”

Billie chuckled,

“I think you’ve just got a craving.”

Chris grinned, though she couldn’t see,

“For a blond in a union jack?”

Billie spun his chair around, and he found himself with an armful of her,

“For the blond behind Rose Tyler. I’ll tell you a secret…”

Chris licked his lips, suddenly feeling his heartbeat hammering in his ears,

“What’s that?”

“We’re both in love with daft idiots, who think they’re better than all other men.”

Chris blinked, and in that instant, she leaned forward and kissed him. It wasn’t a soft press like the Doctor and Rose Tyler had shared. It was a demanding, insistent, hungry kiss. One that spoke of weeks and months of yearning.

Perhaps he could have kissed her sooner. Perhaps he could have gone home with her that night. But he hadn’t. He’d scolded himself and pretended he didn’t care.

But even if he had only one heart, it was completely hers.

“You’re mad you know?”

He told her, the second they parted for air, and she giggled,

“Nope. I’m fantastic, and you love it.”

He cocked his brow at her, but couldn’t argue.

***

**END**

 


End file.
